Personal Genomics.
Services like 23andMe and Ancestry have made it possible even popular for the average person to obtain in-depth information about their genome, including details like food allergies, drug sensitivities, and disease risks. There are even add-on sites that will take this information and generate elaborate reports, such as Promethease. Describe how this data is obtained, and what it actually includes. Start your explanation with a basic description of DNA and how genes control our traits (the Central Dogma). Use information from the course readings, at least one service provider (e.g., 23&Me, Ancestry), and additional information resources. What are the advantages and disadvantages of this easy, rapid, and affordable access to genomic data? What are the social implications, in terms of benefits and risks? Is Genome Privacy (restricting access to an individuals private genomic data) a potential issue, and if so, how? If you, or someone you know, have had your own genome analyzed, discuss the thought process that led you (or them) to do so, and share how you felt when you found your results. If you haven’t, discuss why or why you would not want to have this information.
Addresses course outcomes 1-4:
recognize and explain how the scientific method is used to solve problems
make observations and discriminate between scientific and pseudoscientific explanations
weigh evidence and make decisions based on strengths and limitations of scientific knowledge and the scientific method
use knowledge of biological principles, the scientific method, and appropriate technologies to ask relevant questions, develop hypotheses, design and conduct experiments, interpret results, and draw conclusions
Write a paper about your chosen topic.
Your paper should consist of a title page, introduction, several paragraphs addressing the questions for your chosen topic, conclusion, and references.
Your paper should be 750-1500 words, excluding references and the title page.
Use a minimum of four (4) reliable information sources. These may or may not be the same resources that you found in step 1 of this assignment.
The majority of your paper should be written in your own words, your own writing style and structure, fully paraphrasing information from the selected information sources (just changing a few words in a sentence is not enough). Your paper should consist of less than 10% direct quotes. Quotation marks must be used at the start and end of a direct quote, followed by an in-text citation. When paraphrasing, you should also use text citations to acknowledge the source.
A list of references in APA format should be included at the end.
Leave a Reply